Emergency lighting devices include circuitry that illuminate emergency lights during a power outage using a battery or similar power supply.
Because these lighting devices are relied on for emergency situations, they must be tested at the factory to ensure that they function properly. To test a typical emergency lighting device, it must be completely assembled with all of its components (including the back-up power supply) assembled and connected to one another. Next, the device's circuitry is wired to a testing unit and is tested to ensure that it will function properly during a power outage. After testing, the battery of a typical emergency lighting device must be disconnected from the device's circuitry. In typical devices, if the battery is not disconnected from the circuitry, the circuitry will remain energized and the battery's charge may drop below an acceptable level prior to installation.
Typical emergency lighting devices are difficult and time consuming to install and are not shipped in a condition ready for installation. Rather, the installer must disassemble the device, perform a number of steps, and then reassemble the device to mount and install it. Because the device is shipped with a disconnected battery, the installer must remove the device's housing and reconnect the battery to the circuitry. Additionally, the battery, circuitry and other components of the unit may obstruct portions of the housing that must be accessed for mounting and wiring the device. If so, the installer must remove those components, mount and wire a portion of the device, and then reinstall the components and replace the device's housing to complete installation.
Installation of a typical emergency lighting device may require: (1) removing the device from its packaging; (2) removing the device's cover; (3) disconnecting the wires connecting the device's lamps to its circuitry; (4) removing the device's battery; (5) knocking out mounting holes; (6) mounting the device to the desired structure; (7) reinstalling the battery; (8) reconnecting the wires connecting the device's lamps to its circuitry; and (9) reinstalling the device's cover.